What's So Great About The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker? - A Wide, Watery World

[@Rubberman202]

Man, I remember the anger and vitriol back in the early 2000's days of the Internet where everyone hated how this game looked and preemptively assumed it was going to be a "kiddie game". Now it's gone on to be one of the most beloved installments in the Zelda franchise! I played it quite a bit back in the day, really fun game, definitely has more of an emphasis on exploring the sea and side quests than main dungeons, I didn't care for the forced stealth section early on and Tingle gating off progression through absurd prices got pretty annoying, but otherwise really great game! The stylized look and how expressive Link is, while I'll admit found weird at first, is super charming, despite what people said early on, and is easily one of the game's strongest features, in my opinion.

[@HoganLegDropSoup]

I honestly couldn't stand how the graphics looked either. And while it was a good game that I did enjoy, I wish the graphics were different

[@SolDizZo]

Yet again proves style is forever, graphics are temporary. I thought Skyward Sword graphics were incredible, but incredibly bland and "safe" or sanitized compared to TP and WW, like an unhappy middle between those extremes

[@p0pimp2004]

I was pissed as well and twilight princess is what we wanted and ended up being the better game imo. This was a fine game, but it wasn't what we were looking for coming from oot and mm. U also have to consider the way graphics were heading. This would've been an EXCELLENT ds title.

[@WugWug_The_Ugly]

I remember being a kid who had fallen in love with the evolution presented by OOT and MM. With my first look of this game, I was really put off by the graphics. I wasn't excited to get it but as a Zelda fan since the early nineties I knew I would give it a go eventually. A kid at the youth group I went to got it for his birthday on release. He had zero interest in Zelda and with one look of the box, he didn't want to even try it. He sold it to me for £5. This was a few days after it's release. I proceeded to live on that game for the next year. The art style makes this game work and toon Link quickly became one of my favourite incarnations. It was this game that taught me to not judge based on graphics as the world and gameplay are what tops priorities. It's still in my top 3 Zelda's to this day.

[@MLennholm]

@@SolDizZo LOL Skyward Sword's graphics looked bland compared to TP? TP is the blandest looking Zelda game ever made. An attempt to make realistic looking graphics, with generic designs, dull colours and muddy textures, which is completely inappropriate for a Zelda game, and has aged terribly.

[@jesuscryst3239]

Despite its flaws, this is probably my absolute favorite Zelda title! There's so much charm and whimsy, Link is so expressive, and Zelda is at her coolest!

[@davecurtis86]

Windwaker 2 on switch 2, huge open ocean, spherical world map, so you can sail around the world, loads of islands to explore, takes a lot from BOtW but has dungeons, proper items etc windwaker art style. All in.

[@philipbriggs8713]

I been saying this for months, but that spherical map idea is absolute brilliance

[@DreamEaterxBAD]

I first played this game when I was 8 years old. I got the collector's edition with the bonus disc containing Ocarina of Time. Then I got the collector's Zelda TWW Wii U with the remake. I can't say enough about I much I love this game. The freedom, the sea, the music... Everything was filled with magic and wonder. The graphics are still so unique and beautiful to this day. I'm still obsessed with this game more than 20 years after. Best Zelda game ever.

[@FloofPuppy]

I hope Wind Waker gets another port, I freaking LOVE that game~

[@Reigndolph]

Still better than Majora's mask

[@Dahras1]

Personally, I think Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda, maybe tied with Majora's Mask. I understand the criticisms people have of the game, but personally I think the Zelda audience over time has become a bit too dungeon focused. Ocarina of Time is a very dungeon-forward game, but I've tended to enjoy the Zelda games that take the base mechanics of OoT and bend the gameplay in a different direction. Majora's Mask did it by being focused heavily on time travel, adventure game mechanics, and exploration to *find* the dungeons. Wind Waker did it by focusing on world exploration, travel, and discovery. There's something so wonderful about just sailing in Wind Waker, listening to the soundtrack, seeing the seas and skies change. It is almost meditative. I didn't enjoy the HD remaster as much because to me, finding triforce charts, planning ways to earn the rupees to translate them, and then finally hauling the triforce piece up was a huge part of the fun, the pirate-exploration fantasy. Cutting that part out was like cutting away pizza to get to the crust: I like crust too, but it isn't the meat of the experience. Either way, I very much enjoy Wind Waker, and am glad you covered it. Who knows? Maybe Nintendo will set the next Zelda game on the high seas again, I would love to see it.

[@Pickyjonez]

No other game's soundtrack has the impact Wind Waker does for me 🥲

[@hnd_0210]

I literally found this channel by accident and wanted to say it’s really refreshing for a creator to earn my subscription through the art they are producing. These are really well done videos. Much continued success to you!

[@MLennholm]

Correction: The reason the Hero of Time didn't show up was not because he had gone to Termina (the events of Majora's Mask), it was because WW takes place in the 'adult timeline', where all the events of OoT actually took place and Zelda sent Link back in time to live out his lost childhood, so he ceased to exist in this timeline.

[@SurprisedPika666]

To be fair. That does technically mean that he did leave to go to Termina.

[@themysticfedora]

@@SurprisedPika666yeah OPs comment doesnt make sense

[@JuilanXAnime3188]

@@themysticfedorayes it does your just not actually see it or procesing how the game references link being removed back to the past Simple as that This notion of MM and WIND WAKER IN THE SAME F SENTENCE is getting really ridiculous since the 2000s Adult Future 🌊 WW Child Future 🌳 MM What is there not to understand? Hmm? 🤨 Enough said

[@MLennholm]

@@SurprisedPika666 No, the REASON he disappeared from the adult timeline was because Zelda sent him back so that he could live out his childhood. The fact that he later, in the child timeline, went to Termina doesn't change the REASON Zelda made him disappear from the adult timeline (unless you think he was ordained to go there and Zelda knew this).

[@ocben2184]

I’m just finding out this isn’t a real “link” and he’s just a kid makes me love this game even more my all time favorite beating breath of the wild and oot

[@shaunpiotrowski3185]

5:21 you said that this was the most recent reincarnation of Ganon. Nope. This is the same Ganon from Ocarina of Time. The King of the Red Lions says as much in the very next scene. At the end of the game, they even go as far to illustrate his motivation to conquer Hyrule, which was a very nice touch.

[@GreatGonzalez]

I think he meant that oot ganondorf at the time was the most recent incarnation of ganon and it was in ww

[@JuilanXAnime3188]

Yeah not only that they even show the 6 sagas and Ganon shown in the glass mirror with the two swords as he was in the end of OOT Not only that Ganondorf familiarity with the blade of evils bane and with link by calling him BOY Not only that he still has his triforce of power he stole in the child era of OOT Not only that when snatching Zelda in WW end in hyrule castle it was truly a repeat of OOT like he did when he was younger to OOT Zelda And not only that his words at the end of it is here I WOULD AGAIN GATHER THE 3 WITH CREST aka he remembering his younger days at the End where he talks about the triforce resonating they are becoming one again in OOT before fighting link So yeah the original first Child era Ganondorf to Adult era Ganondorf is the same Ganondorf of Wind waker he’s Just age like Sh$& lol 🤣 TP Ganondorf is the Ganondorf right when he talking to the king where OOT original time flow events where prevent aka the Time split this Ganondorf never met link and never seen the master sword as official proof in TP before the final battle his words an interesting looking blade but nothing more There you go

[@halcyo]

One of the best in the series, and certainly one of the most memorable, due to it's unique setting and art style. I loved every bit of this one during the GC years.

[@sebastianfernandez6146]

Easily my favorite game in the series. Love how they tackled the items in the game. They all feel very useful and it was cool seeing the different functions of each one. The forsaken fortress part in the beginning is BRUTAL but once youre past that is when it opens up.

[@NephaiX]

I've been playing these games since the beginning and I have played nearly all of them and Wind Waker is still my #1.

[@EarthwormHam]

Loved WInd Waker! I didn't mind just sailing on the Great Sea. I thought it was intended for islands to be far apart since the world was so vast

[@DomyTheMad420]

i'll personally never stop somewhat chuckling at the hatred the game got upon release. it wasn't my first Zelda game, but it may as well have been. and i'll never stop being grateful for that.

[@gamingwithahandicapreviews]

Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are my favorite Zelda’s! The gameplay and everything else in those games are just perfect! Great video man!

[@AlexTamayo.]

Thank you, Jackson for another fantastic video. It makes me so happy everytime I see a new video of yours in my feed!

[@DroolingLizard]

One of my favorite Zeldas! Love your channel

[@Vulpas]

Its art, music, and sense of adventure are unparalleled to this day. Only a remake can possibly surpass it.

[@Megarobotsquadron]

So when I played this, I hadn't played games since the 16 bit era. When I started it, I loved it. But at a certain point when I was sailing to the next album, I decided to sail off course. I had no idea I could do that. AND I FOUND ANOTHER ISLAND. Suddenly the game was open world and I never imagined that was even a thing. Mindblowing

[@Epic_C]

When this game was released, I knew it was way different in style compared to OOT, but I was always a Zelda fan since the very first game. It was different, but I enjoyed how Nintendo emphasized the facial expression gimmick and the cartoonist style. I loved the game. When Twilight Princess came out, it too was different but I still enjoyed it just as much. Some people are just insufferable no matter what you do.

[@JosephShemelewski]

My favorite part of the game was always after forbidden woods when it's stuck dark and stormy til you get to Jabu. Just cool to explore windfall when it's like that

[@viddysgamingviddyos4710]

As a kid, I never understood the 'initial dislike' for the cartoony visuals, even though I saw screenshots of the more realistic looking tech demo from Spaceworld 2000. When playing the game, I got emotionally invested and enjoyed the exploration and so on [well most of it, yeah, the last third of the game was ehhh]. In fact, I daresay Wind Waker is what truly made me a Zelda fan after first trying OoT and MM.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

10:35. Earth Temple has to be played before the Wind Temple. Makar won’t be in his little cave unless you’ve completed the Earth Temple first.

[@SmashBrosmike85]

I do believe the right questions is: What’s not great about Wind Waker?

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

It followed up to OoT that should have and could have been its own self-standing game franchise, instead banking on the Zelda IP. The only reason there's any issue with the timeline is because 3, arguably 4 games, have these additional "split timelines" that are not faithful to the tone, by attracting an audience that places too much importance on continuity. This is the same thing that Hollywood does and gets lambasted for "bad adaptation" but you never let it count when the mangling DOES perform commercially well, like the ruination of TMNT by the show for children. Just like TMNT 1987, OoT, Wind Waker and TP are the games that SHOULD be cut from the timeline and declared spinoffs. Majora's Mask isn't even a problem because it hangs lampshade so heavily on its loose connection to ANY Zelda game. And that wouldn't be necessarily had that not been NOT GREAT ABOUT THEM in the first place, had they done it right the frist time and make a new IP. They would have also been greatly successful entirely regardless of the Zelda IP.

[@elio7610]

the real issue is rushed development. it just seems like Wind Waker could have been so much better. it is fun to move around Link, feels so fast and smooth in comparison to OoT, but there is not enough interesting stuff to explore. the islands are all so small and to travel the sea to a different island you need to sail in the boat, which can be fun but it still sucks to need to sail so much and have barely any land to explore when you get to a destination. Link is designed to walk on land, nearly all of his abilities require land to use, so the sea just is not as fun to interact with. in the end, it probably would have been more fun if the game was set mostly on land instead of the great sea. still, i enjoyed it.

[@SkywalkerFoe]

Triforce hunt, game is incredibly easy, dungeons are typically tedious and boring, sailing is boring and tedious, and last but most importantly, not enough Tingle

[@Millennialplayer97]

That's rude and don't fight it you know I'm right!!!!!

[@tadaokou4919]

Just a small correction: You can't do the Wind/Earth temple in the order you choose. If you try to do the Wind Temple first Makar will simple not be behind the Waterfall. So in actuality it's linear despite the game suggesting otherwise.

[@MLennholm]

That has always baffled me and I was really disappointed that it wasn't fixed in the HD remaster, because there's absolutely no reason why you wouldn't be able to do Wind before Earth as the mirror shield is not even needed in the Wind Temple.

[@tarajhii]

This dude just dropped a banger lets gooooo🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Frisco2005]

I once had an uncle who was stabbed in the sewer.

[@linkthehero8431]

10:57 _All through the power of the Master Sword raised HIIIIIGH!" -DragonForce, Power of the Triforce

[@squidsona8509]

My intro to zelda. This game is very special to me its just so good

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

If the devs didnt have to rush and cut content out, this very well could be the best Zelda game ever crafted.

[@franzgucktyoutube]

The greatest among the many great Zelda soundtracks!

[@jagirl966]

Of course I would get an ad for Echoes of Wisdom for this video.

[@JuilanXAnime3188]

I knew right lol I saw it to its like just warning me of hey your watching a Zelda video ok just remember your preorder release is on the 26th and we are taking 60$ from you on 19th lol 😂

[@50hzAva]

I always love that the spaceworld demo still gets referred to as realistic 😂

[@ocben2184]

Till this day my favorite Zelda ever

[@linkthehero8431]

I love Wind Waker so much that I even play it on my phone despite how slow Dolphin is on my 2017 model Samsung.

[@briandoe5746]

Am I one of the only people that played the game and then realized the graphics were actually amazing? And all of these reviews I hear people complaining... Maybe I was just really high

[@HooktonFonnix]

I loved the visuals from the beginning, but I almost didn't rent it from Blockbuster because it looked like a kids game. It is still one of my all time favorites in large part because of the visuals and the music. I work at Nintendo now, so it really has come full circle for me

[@MLennholm]

It was released at a time when people thought that 'photo-realistic (for the time) visuals == game for grown-ups' and 'colorful, stylized graphics == game for little kids', and all the kids who wanted to feel like grown-ups refused to play anything but realistic (for the time) looking games. Unfortunately it seems like that mindset is making a come back right now. I've seen a lot of people saying things like "Tears of the Kingdom is really fun, but after playing _Horizon Forbidden West_ it's difficult going back to those kiddy graphics."

[@Chewy00]

I love the graphics too. I think it's one of the reasons the games visuals has aged so well visually, it still looks good to this day imo

[@jj_1edzep]

Still my favourite Zelda game (however LttP, LBW and TT are very high on my list too). And the HD version is absolutely gorgeous!

[@TrickyThe0ne]

Just beat this game on the original hardware, having played it many many times when i was a child I never beat it because my GameCube broke. Kept my copy of the game for so long it was bought from a movie gallery (like blockbuster). Buddy helped me get my hands on a GameCube for a normal asking price last year, and I finally beat this game after well over 20 years. Now I have to get the time to beat Twilight Princess as well!

[@KaneAsIAm]

Yeah I played TLOZ WW well after its release because I never got a GameCube. I played it in my Wii and got absolutely hooked! The story and the gameplay made me want to keep playing for weeks until I had beaten it. Yes, it referenced OOT, but WW absolutely stands on its own!

[@tubejaca]

great video

[@FoxMcCloud-64]

You deserve more views

[@waywardlaser]

It's ironic how much people hated the art style initially but now it's one of the most gracefully-aged games ever. The original Gamecube release still looks fantastic.

[@theblexican]

It's been years and I still hate the art style lol

[@Trazynn]

I utterly resent that this hasn't been released on the Switch yet.

[@CJB333]

Wind Waker was the last game I woke up early before school/work to play

[@dinosoid2000]

Fans still waiting for the HD remasters to be released on Switch. Apparently they've been sitting on Twilight Princess HD for awhile. Guessing Windwaker too.

[@rosema7909]

If you were alive back then , you know everyone hated and mocked windwaker. Decades later it’s cool though lol

[@giganticmoon]

third favorite game :)

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

I love the vibe of this game

[@ToxicallyMasculinelol]

great video. just fyi, "exacerbated" has a negative, clinical connotation. you probably mean "amplified" or "accentuated" haha

[@TheEightfoldPath_]

Clean graphics always trumps cutting edge imo. WW looks as clean upscaled to 4k as it did on a CRT on the gamecube. Can't say the same about the later titles.

[@Industrialman96]

Could you please make a video about Doom RPG 1/2 games? (and other in series like Wolfenstein RPG and Orcs and Elves 1/2) They just been recently ported to PC, one of the best gems of the J2ME platform!

[@ryanbrayton8441]

He's the same ganon from oot and even twilight princess

[@OmegaFox09]

Question: think you could cover Starfox Adventures? I personally believe it’s a seriously underrated yet great game. But that’s just me

[@Historicutuber]

It’s a really fun game. I wish I had beaten it

[@nickj7335]

Loved this game

[@Zaapiel22]

One of my favorite games to just relax to. I hate weapon degradation in the newer games. I just want to run around and slash things without having to worry about going through weapons during a boss fight.

[@goofywill90]

Third favorite Zelda game for me

[@painuchiha2694]

Wind waker HD Nintendo? 😭 This will be the direct I can feel it

[@coreykipps]

"Who immediately gets himself stabbed in the sewer"

[@TchaikovskyListener]

*Cello-playing

[@aforty1]

I loved this game. It was the first Zelda game I ever played (and beat) so I wasn’t aware of any backlash at the time.

[@BusyMEOW]

I never finished the Wind Waker on Gamecube or WiiU, it was fun at first but I just got bored or couldn't get invested into it after a few dungeons. Odd, because I finished the Phantom Hourglass..

[@Thenewbagman]

Fkn Remaster is a ugliest and most unnecessary thing ever done to a beautiful and awesome game.

[@beezar113]

You made some incredibly good arguments that there is less great about this game than people thought 💀

[@keithcastillo5434]

It has a couple huge flaws tingle and the graphics. I suspect if it had everything you mentioned Plus realistic graphics and no tingle then the game will be 99 like ocarina.

[@someguy3263]

Realistic graphics would not fit this game's world at all

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Windwaker HD looks like crap. OG has the way better non plastic toy art style.